Quicksilver
by GreysonSilver777
Summary: Zootopia is still recovering from the chaos of The Wave; a devastating tsunami that brought the city to its knees. Months later, a new threat works in the shadow of Zootopia. A new hero will rise to challenge the evil at work, which is getting more personal by the day. This story takes place in the same universe as Garouge Faux's Take a Stand, OC's are used with their permission.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: First off, thank you so much for clicking an reading my new project! I have a lot of big plans for this story and plan to post new chapters weekly or every other week. This work takes place in the same universe as Garouge Faux's amazing work and I highly recommend you read those works, you wont regret it! With Garouge Faux permission, one or two OC's from their stories will make appearances in this story. As always, please be sure to leave me your thoughts and comments! Feedback is always appreciated! I'm excited to start this story and I hope you guys are excited as well.**

 **Prologue**

It was cold. The kind of bitter, stinging cold that felt like needles on your skin, making you regret ever stepping foot out of your door. The accompanying wind quickly found any exposed skin poking out from layers of winter clothes.

Greyson Silver pulled his hoodie tighter around him, tugging the straps on his hoodie until he could barely make out the swirling, snow-covered sidewalk in front of him. His nose was ice and and his eyes were watering as the wind whipped icy drafts of snow into his face.

The skies above the great city of Zootopia were dark, the clouds and stars blocked out by the light pollution of the massive skyline. Cars of all shapes and sizes drove carefully over the reflections cast across roads by the street lights above. Cold winds whistled between the buildings and through the mammals that covered the sidewalks, eager to get home to their warm apartments and families.

Greyson continued towards his destination, carefully navigating through larger mammals as they passed by. He shivered again as a gust of wind blew through the packed street. _This city seems more crowded than ever…_ Greyson thought to himself as he moved to avoid a large rhino as he roughly pushed past him. _Scratch that, this city seems more rude than ever._

They had reason to be. Not even a week ago, Zootopia had been hit with one of the worst earthquakes in its history, the tsunami that followed had been just as bad. Thousands were out of home, job, and safety as the city struggled to recover. The coyote looked down at his shoes as they crushed the snow beneath them. _I could've been here, could've done something._ The guilt hurt a hell of a lot more than the cold did. He shook it off and continued down the road until he finally reached his destination.

A small, dimly lit cafe, adorned the corner of a skyscraper that housed the United Bank of Zootopia. Small bells tied to the door chimed as Greyson entered the space, sighing gratefully as a wave of warm air washed over him. The cafe was not terribly crowded, several writers of different species sat next to a warm gas fire, macbooks in their laps, a young couple sat by the window pretending to watch the snowfall in a vain attempt to keep their eyes off one another, and a lone barista waited at the register for Greyson, averting her gaze with a small blush as he made eye-contact. An older vixen sat in the corner booth of the cafe, her eyes trained on her coffee.

"May I take your order?" The fox barista asked shyly as Greyson approached the counter. Her apron was stained with different ingredients ranging from chocolate syrup to flour that covered the green fabric.

"Sure, let me get a mocha latte, decaf please." He responded, handing her his debit card. While the fox put in his order and began to work on the beverage, Greyson absentmindedly stared at the variety of muffins and pastries behind the brightly lit glass counter.

"You look familiar, do I know you from somewhere?" Greyson snapped out of his day dream and looked up to the other side of the counter where the barista was blending his drink. As their eyes met, an excited smile crept over her face.

"You're Greyson Sil..." Before she could finish, Greyson brought a finger up to his lips, motioning for her to quiet down. Realizing he was trying to be inconspicuous, she nodded knowingly, unable to wipe the smile off her face as she continued working on his beverage.

Greyson offered her a small smile and stepped closer to the counter, "Thank you for keeping it quiet." Awkwardly, Greyson shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to avoid eye contact.

The barista nodded before asking, "So what brings you back to Zootopia? Weren't you just on tour?" She twisted the ends of her hair shyly, unable to hide the growing blush under her skin.

Greyson smiled again, noticing her body language, "I was yeah, it was a lot of fun. Finished playing in London yesterday." He paused for a moment, thinking back to his european trip. London. Paris. Berlin. It was an amazing experience.

"So are you going to be playing around Zootopia?" The barista asked, pausing her work. Her deep blue eyes stared into the coyote's, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Greyson shrugged. "I don't know, I might lie low for a little bit and take a break for awhile," He shuffled his right foot, struggling to control his own rapidly reddening face, "I don't know, maybe some time away from all the noise and attention."

The Barista smiled. "Breaks are important. You gotta have that time to rest and clear your head." With one final flare of whipped cream she held the drink over the counter.

"Thank you." Greyson smiled as he took the coffee from her. She brushed her hair behind her ears which were rapidly turning red. "No problem." She grinned shyly, "Let me know if you're playing anything around town?"

"Sure thing." Greyson said, unable to break eye contact. Realizing that he was staring way to long and unsure of what to do with himself, Greyson awkwardly gave her a curt nod and smiled before swiftly walking towards the booth occupied by the older vixen to hide his reddining ears.

The vixen smiled, and began to chuckle at the approaching coyote. "She likes you." Marian Wilde sipped on her coffee, her british accent light and playful.

"You think so?" Greyson asked sarcastically, trying unsuccessfully to play it cool as he sat across from her. Marian motioned towards his cup. Twisting his latte around, he found a phone number scribbled onto the cardboard sleeve of the cup, complete with small hearts. Greyson blushed and shook his head, changing the subject. "How are you Marian?"

"Better than most of Zootopia. This earthquake has torn apart so many lives. I'm just blessed to have everyone in one piece..." Taking another sip of her coffee, Marian smiled warmly at Greyson before jokingly remarking, " You're late. How are you of all people late?"

Greyson tried to take a sip of his coffee, but quickly regretted it as the hot liquid scorched his tongue. "It's hard to run over ice and snow, weird to see so much of it downtown."

"The weather machines have been broken since the quake, the Tundra Town regulator has been putting snow into all the other districts," Marian remarked, "Should be fixed in a couple of days, according to Nick." She paused, giving Greyson a hard but mothering look. "You should visit the team more often, we really do miss you Grey."

Greyson shook his head, trying his best to avoid eye contact with the older vixen. "I've been too busy to visit, you know that. Plus, it would probably be for the best that we remain apart, especially after what happened…" He stopped, giving Marian an accusing look. "You haven't told them you were meeting me here, have you?"

"Of course not!" Marian scoffed, feigning indignity, "What kind of mentor would I be if I broke that kind of promise?"

Greyson chuckled before changing the subject, "How are Nick and Judy? I heard that she's chief of precinct one now."

'They're just fine, both of them are busy with work and helping clean up the city. And…" Marian smiled, leaning across the table and beckoning him to do the same before excitedly whispering, "Nick is running for mayor!"

Greyson smiled at Marian's pride and excitement for her son. He whispered back teasingly, "Why did you have to whisper that?"

Mairan leaned back in her seat, rolling her eyes at the smugness of the young coyote. "Nick has asked me to keep it secret until he's officially announced it."

"Right, right…" Greyson nodded, taking a sip of his coffee, "a-and the team? How are they doing?" He kept his face emotionless, but his foot nervously tapped the tile flooring underneath the table.

Marian took a long look at Greyson before responding."Well, Spitfire is the only one running missions anymore, Robin is getting fed up with being stuck in the bunker and I'm where I've always been, behind a computer screen…" She trailed off, her mind wandering back to her days of vigilantism.

"And Luna?" Marian was broken from her trance at the question and stared at Greyson, his face was deadpan and emotionless, the tapping of his foot had stopped, but his voice had a slight quiver to it, something only an expert could pick up. Greyson attempted to hide his nervousness by taking another sip of his coffee. Marian squinted, trying to pick up any trace of feeling as she thought about how to answer the question.

After a long period of silence, Marian shook her head and sighed deeply before responding."Grey, she's left the team. She told me it wasn't because of you, or that night, but she made the decision that she needed to clean herself up before returning," Marian paused, looking at Greyson as he stared at his coffee.

She could hear his leg once again anxiously bouncing up and down underneath the table. "But I think she missed you. She wanted you back so much, it killed her when you left. She only blamed herself for you leaving. She needed her friend Grey. You left her - you left _us_ with a note and broken hearts".

Greyson didn't respond, staring deeply into his coffee as tears started to build up behind his brown eyes. Guilt started to gnaw on his heart and his stomach was twisting into knots.

Marian took a moment to breathe and wiped away her own tear as she went on, "Did you find what you were looking for out there?"

Wiping away the tears that had begun to sting his eyes and taking a breath to collect himself, Greyson nodded. "I tracked down the rest of Madame Misdadd's connections. The tour provided the perfect cover for my operations there. I found the drug sources and took them out."

Marian looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise as she whispered, "You didn't kill them, did you?"

"Of course not." Greyson furrowed his brow, "Some of them got anxious when they heard I was coming and decided that they would rather die than confess to the law, but the ones that didn't were turned over to their police departments."

Marian sighed with relief and sat back in her seat, taking a deep drink from her coffee as she did. There was a moment of silence between the two, broken only by the bell of the cafe ringing as the couple by the window departed.

"So, what now?" Marian asked, "Now that you've accomplished your mission, what's next?"

Greyson took a deep breath before responding, "You know what? I have no idea. Maybe another tour?" Greyson laughed with anticipation. "Maybe another album? Who knows? Maybe I'll drop the vigilante act and finally focus on nothing but music."

"And I'm sure Zootopia's criminal underbelly wouldn't mind you retiring either," Marian interrupted in a motherly tone, "You need to talk with the team, we can help you find that next step." She placed a hand on Greyson's. "It would do everyone a lot of good, yourself included."

"I don't know…" Greyson sighed. He hadn't seen the team in over a year, he wondered how the team would react to his return...

Marian went on, "Come by the bunker tomorrow. If you don't like it, you can go off on your own, but you should at least come and visit."

Greyson looked into Marian's hopeful, caring eyes, and crumbled beneath them. "Alright fine. For you Marian, I'll _consider_ swinging by for old-times sake." He would never admit it, but he was anxious to see his old friends again.

Marian smiled broadly. "I knew you would come around. Sundown tomorrow, be there." She stood up from the booth, grunting as her joints creaked and groaned into place.

"Getting old?" Greyson asked, smiling coyly, sliding his hands behind his head and laying back against the seat.

Marian shot him a look as she stretched. "Still young enough to teach you some manners." Greyson laughed as he raised his arms to block her purse.

Marian shook her head and smiled. "Do you remember where it is or do you want me to send you a map?"

Greyson smiled smugly, folding his arms across his chest. "Of course I do. I know this city like the back of my hand." Marian rolled her eyes at the cockyness that hadn't changed since he left. As she left the booth, she gave a knowing smile to the lone barista who was watching them from behind the counter as she worked. Tossing her empty cup into the garbage Marian opened the glass door and stepped out into the cold night.

Greyson sat alone at the boothe, his eyes gazing deep into his now empty coffee cup. It was true, he had decisions to make. He had accomplished his goal in Europe and avenged his family. Greyson leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, listening to the crackle of the fire and the clicking of the macbook keys.

He hadn't always been fast. But truth be told, Greyson could hardly remember a time he didn't have his speed. Running was always his go-to outlet, besides his music, and had led him to something more. His European "tour", was no exception. Taking down Misdadd for what she had done, unravelling her drug business, had not been an easy task...

Greyson opened his eyes. His life had led up to this goal. It was over. He needed something to work for, something new. As he stood up and left the cafe, he gave the barista a nod and a smile. _She is pretty cute…_ He thought to himself as he slid his fingers over the cardboard cup holder he had stuffed into his pocket. He shook his head at himself with a smile as the swirling snow enveloped him into the dark streets of Zootopia.

The sunset cast long shadows from Zootopia's skyscrapers onto the mountains behind it, drenching the once green hills with orange light. A large mansion protruded out of the mountainside, modernly designed, its white marble stuck out like a sore thumb between the green trees. Trevor Darkfang squinted as the sunset glare from his window aligned with his face, blinding him as he took his seat at the long, wooden table.

Around him sat mammals of all different shapes and sizes, all of them dressed in well designed and tailored suits. Trevor looked out across the table and the 12 pairs of eyes stared back.

"Gentlemen, thank you for coming on such a short notice," Trevor began, his voice smooth and calm, "I'm sure you all know why I called this meeting today, but I'll cut to the chase as I'm sure we all have other matters to attend to."

Pressing a button built into his chair, the room darkened and a projector shot an image across the wall behind him. A well dressed fox in a police uniform standing in front of a group of mammals, talking with them.

"Our intel has proven our worst fear correct. Nick Wilde is running for Mayor of Zootopia." Trevor's voice oozed like velvet over smooth wood.

A long silence followed, the only noise being the occasional shift of weight in a chair. Trevor took the time to make eye contact with each one of the seated mammals before continuing.

"We all knew it was only a matter of time before an interspecies couple made their way into Zootopia's government, and that's not even the primary issue," Trevor stood from his chair and circled the table. "The issue remains that if our man does not win this election, our efforts to instate Project Mirror are setback majorly. The earthquake has already set our timetable back as far enough as is. We cannot let this _street_ _hustler_ become mayor. If he succeeds, Project Mirror will have to be postponed until the next mayoral election. Unless we figure out a way to keep him from office or work around the mayor entirely."

A weasel stood up, clearing his deep voice before stating, "My company has located underground locations for us to work on furthering Project Mirror without scrutiny from the government. We can work more freely without the nosy eyes of the city."

"That is career suicide!" A buffalo interrupted, his chair scraping the floor as he stood up, "This organization isn't a petty drug operation, we already have plenty of those going on as is." He eyed several members around the table. "We work to ensure our legality with the government for the betterment of mammal-kind. If we go behind it's back now, we lose our edge and gain a serious enemy."

"It's only illegal if they catch us and they _won't._ " The weasel countered looking at the rest of the table for support. "Like you said, we are already running several large scale drug operations without being caught. We're professional business mammals with clean slates." The weasel straightened his tie. "I move to continue Project Mirror underneath the guise of my underground locations."

Trevor raised one eyebrow. "All in favor?" Nine hands raised into the air, including Trevor's. Those who didn't raise their hands, remained silent in their objections. Trevor eyed them and smiled. "Fear not gentlemen, Project Mirror will be for the betterment of all mammal-kind. Besides, look at all of the changes that have taken place in the past years that have supported our cause. The Bellweather incident, the legalization of interspecies relationships, the first of many interspecies offspring..."

Trevor slowly walked towards the window as the sun set over a dark Zootopia.

"The world is changing, and we will change with it."


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Yep. Here's the new chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this one so I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Again, if you haven't gotten to read Garouge Faux's amazing work, Take a Stand, please do so! My story builds off of that story and it's just an amazing universe that Garouge Faux has created. Please remember to favorite, follow, and please please PLEASE review! I need to know what I can do better on so that future chapters are better than previous ones. There's my rant. Enjoy.**

 **Chapter 1**

 _Several Months Later…_

Matthias Hound leaned against the door of his car. His dark sunglasses reflected the piercing light of the parking garage as he flicked the ash off of his cigarette. God it had been a stressful month. Almost all, if not all drug trafficking in the city had slowed to a crawl. Gangs were being broken up, heists were cancelled, and everyone was trying to keep their nose squeaky clean which was making work hard to find for the mercenary.

Taking a long drag before practicing a pitiful smoke ring, he sneered. Everyday there was some new vigilante roaming the streets eager to fight the "good fight". Some of them were just posers, easy pickings for the likes of Matthias, but others put a chill down the back of his spine; something that not a lot of mammals could do to the tough hound-dog.

Matthias skillfully maneuvered the cigarette between scarred fingers, watching the lit end glow as it burned in the warm summer night. He had seen things that other mammals dreamed of. To him they were nightmares. Freaks of nature, mammals that could take a bullet and keep fighting, super strength that could pierce concrete, skilled marks-mammals who could drop you and the mammal next to you without a sound.

He shivered again, despite the warm wind blowing through the garage. It scared him sure, but he had bills to pay and a reputation to uphold as one of the best guns for hire in the city. He glanced around at the assortment of mammals gathered in the flourescent light of the concrete garage. All of them were armed with handguns hidden away behind their suit jackets.

The Hound fingered at the hilt of his knife while taking another drag of his cigarette. He couldn't help but feel underdressed as he was garbed in much less fashionable tactical military armor. _Hey, function over form._ Smirking slightly at his joke, Matthias dropped the stub of his still burning cigarette and crushed it beneath his boot.

The deep rumbling of car engines echoed inside the garage. Headlights washed over the concrete walls and over the assembled group of mammals. Two white vans flanked a dark car which pulled in front of Hound and his men. The doors of the van swung open with a _woosh_ , followed by a pair of mammals clad in black military gear and hoisting automatic rifles.

Hound lowered his glasses to the brim of his nose and raised an eyebrow, an unimpressed smile tugging at his lip. He'd seen this routine more times than he could count. Intimidation was the oldest tool of the trade and luckily one that he specialized in. He kept one hand on the knife at his waist and the other on the side of his glasses.

The driver of the dark car stepped out as the rest of the entourage took up positions around the vans and Hound's group. Noticing his group's anxiety, Hound cooly raised a hand to ease his men. The dark car's driver opened the back door of the car and stood in wait beside it.

"Ahhh, Mr. Hound. So glad to finally make your acquaintance," A posh italian accent followed a sharply dressed leopard as he stepped out of the car, "Claw, Alfred Claw. Pleased to meet you." He held his hand out towards Hound who kept his arms folded at his chest.

"Let's just get this transaction over with so we can get back your boss." Hound retorted impatiently, sliding his glasses back against his face.

"Ah ah ah. He's _our_ boss now," Claw wagged his finger at the mercenary, "You knew what you signed up for the second you accepted the organization's offer, and let me tell you, I'm so glad you did. It's so hard to find good help these days."

Hound followed the leopard towards the back of one of the vans. The doors swung open to reveal dozens of silver crates, all marked with dark _XIII_ 's.

Hound examined the boxes carefully and raised an eyebrow. "Electronically locked? Titanium alloy case? This is some serious tech."

Alfred's playful facade dropped and his tone became serious. "You have your orders Hound," He looked at him sternly, "After the mess the earthquake and the Drowned caused, our timetable has been set back long enough. Any failure on your part would result in-"

A chilling echo began to grow in volume, filling the garage with an unearthly noise that sounded similar wind rushing through a jet engine. The assembly uneasily looked towards both ramps of the car garage, handguns being drawn from beneath suits.

"What is that noise?" Hound asked. The words scarcely left his mouth when chaos ensued.

A flick of silver light sent a beaver flying into the wall. A wave of shock spread through the assembled mammals. A second mammal, an unlucky ferret, hit the side of a car with such force a dent was left in the metal door. The sound of the shattering glass of the car window was mixed with the sound of loading guns.

" _God dammit_ , not him again…" Claw cursed as he punched in the code to one of the cases.

"Him?" Hound asked as he pulled his pistol from its holster on his waist and flicked the safety off, raising it to eye level as a badger was slammed into the side of the van opposite of him.

Another mammal hit the wall, knocked out cold. Gunfire echoed around the cement walls as they tried to hit the blur of silver that swept through the assemblage. One by one, mammals were flung into the walls of the garage or the sides of cars. Panic began to set in.

"Here!" Hound caught the strange looking weapon thrown at him by Claw, shouting above the gunfire, "Your guns and goons aren't going to stop him, we need to leave."

Hound nodded. With a quick whistle, the panicking mass shouldered their guns and quickly loaded into their vehicles, grabbing some of the unconscious mammals as they did.

Another two were picked off of the group before they reached their vehicles. Hound pounded the side of the jeep he hopped into and, with a roar of engines, the convoy sped out of the garage and onto the streets of Zootopia. They wove in and out of traffic. Horns and headlights mixed in a confusing array of senses. Hound hoisted his new weapon and scowled when he saw it.

A silver blur elegantly dancing around traffic, no bigger than a small mammal. Taking careful aim, Hound leveled the gun at the blur. He paused for a moment; the weapon seemed to hum in his hands with electricity. It occurred to him that he didn't even know what this _thing_ did. The silver streak was gaining on the convoy. Hound's heart began to pump with adrenaline.

"Fuck it." With a pull of the trigger, the silver weapon gave off a brilliant red light from the barrel which instantly caused the street behind the convoy to erupt. Pieces of the street flew everywhere. Horns blared. Cars screeched to a halt. And the silver streak disappeared inside the cloud of the explosion.

Hound gave a rare toothy smile and chuckled as he adjusted the weapon on his shoulder. _This thing kicks like a son of a bitch!_ Breathing hard, he turned his gaze back to the destruction caused by his new-found power. His radio crackled to life as the lights of the city and passing cars blurred in the corners of his eyes.

"Hound, come in Hound. Hound!" Alfred Claw's voice snapped and popped through the radio, "Quicksilver cannot be allowed to know of my involvement, throw him off the scent, you have your orders."

Hound heavily exhaled and hung off of the jeep. He hadn't had a chase like this in years. Chuckling, he slung his weapon over his shoulder and lifted the radio towards his mouth. "Roger that. I assume my payment will come in the usual form?"

"You'll get your money. Just make sure the job gets done!" Claw shouted into his radio, his black car branching off from the speeding convoy as they wound through the brightly lit streets of Zootopia.

Squinting against the wind, Hound stared out of the back of the jeep. "Oh c'mon…" He moaned as he saw the silver blurr, once again, hot on the convoy's heels.

"It's persistent, I'll give it that." He cursed, bringing his new weapon to eye level before once again firing the red light straight into the silver bolt.

The road exploded in a flash of fire, a cloud of debris enveloping the once neon street. Hound wasted no time. The jeep thundered on, weaving past pedestrians and other vehicles alike and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

With a grunt, he pulled himself to the front of the jeep before pulling his radio back towards his mouth,"Have the vans head back to the outpost, we'll slow this - this _thing_ down and rendezvous with you there."

On cue, the silver bolt re-emerged from the devastation of the blast and shot off after the jeep as the vans branched off into the sidestreets of the city. Quicker than the blink of an eye, it sped forward ahead of the jeep.

"What is it doing?" Hound shouted as the blur disappeared ahead of the speeding jeep. As the mercenary's jeep approached an intersection, a sudden mass of barricades and traffic cones appeared in front of the racing vehicle. A screeching of tires and the smell of burnt rubber filled the air as the jeep swerved hard right to avoid the new obstacle.

Hound felt his stomach leap into his throat as the jeep flipped onto its side, sparks flying through the air as the metal frame of the vehicle ground against the pavement. A terrifying screech of metal on blacktop echoed across the street. The unbearable sound harmonized with the blaring horns and sirens from the devastation left in the wake of the chase.

Spitting blood from his mouth, Hound got up only to hit his head against the floor of the overturned jeep. " _Shit!"_ He could hear the screams and horns of vehicles outside. The putrid wreckage of the burning jeep filled his nostrils.

Cursing and rubbing his head from multiple injuries, he quickly surveyed his surroundings. His driver and his passenger were still in the front two seats, both mammals sprawled against the dashboard. Squinting, Hound could make out the rise and fall of their chests against the seatbelts and sighed with relief.

Hound reluctantly looked down at his own body and groaned at the pain beginning to surface through the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Multiple large cuts could be seen through his military uniform. He could feel the bruises already forming under his fur.

With shaky breaths and several grunts, Hound began to free himself from the wrecked jeep. _With any luck, the cops won't have caught up to us by now._ Hound felt his body cry out in protest as he began to crawl to the side of the jeep. He estimated he had at least one or two broken ribs.

Pulling himself forward, he blasted open the door of the wreckage with one brutally strong kick. _It'll take more than this to stop me._ Hound thought to himself, stumbling out onto the pavement and shakily getting up. The bright lights of Zootopia shone around him as he started to shamble away from the scene.

Mammals were running and screaming as the explosions had incited widespread panic across the downtown area. Grabbing his new weapon, Hound made his way past the barricade that caused the wreck.

"C'mon Hound, you've been through worse," Hound muttered to himself, limping to avoid the pain in his legs, "It'll take more than some superpowered prick to- _OOF!_ " With a flash of white light, the Hound felt the wind leave his body.

He was on the ground. Clutching his stomach in one hand and propping himself on his gun with the other, Matthias spat blood on the ground in front of him, his eyes turning scarlet. In an instant, his chances and hope of escape vanished like tinder in a fire.

"It's over military man. Drop the gun and put your hands behind your head," The voice was cocky and lighthearted, but it carried an edge to it.

Hound glanced up. Where he had just spat blood stood a figure clad in white, bodytight material, outlined in silver. His whole figure seemed to hum and vibrate with energy, a spectral appearance against the background of the city.

Looking further up, Hound made eye contact with the silver being. Deep brown eyes stared back into Hound's redding irises. A large portion of the figure's face was covered in a white mask, covering his eyes and forehead but leaving the distinct canine mouth and nose revealed.

The figure gave an arrogant, toothy smile. "You have the right to remain silent, but then again, you criminal types usually are. You also have the right to an attorney but judging by the mess you made tonight I'd say that even the best lawyer's won't have much to say."

The canine paused. "Damn…" He swore, brining a hand up to scratch his chin, "There's some sorta joke there comparing criminals to an attorney. Hmmm..."

Hound felt the rage build in his body as his blood began to boil. He wasn't going to let himself be caught by some arrogant, talkative, freak. With great speed, Hound raised his gun and pulled the trigger, point blank at the silver canine.

Hound gasped as, instead of pulling a trigger, he pulled nothing but air. Almost instantaneously, the figure held the futuristic rifle in his hands, examining it. A dumbstruck Hound looked down at his hand where the gun used to be.

The figure's eyes narrowed and his joking voice became icy, "This is some nice tech you got here…" Another flash of light and suddenly Hound felt himself hoisted against the wreckage of the jeep, held up by the silver mammal by the straps of his vest, "Don't suppose you'll tell me where you got it from?"

Hound stared at the figure deeply. He was dazed but he made the connection. This _THING_ was one of them. One of the vigilantes. Growling, Matthias spat onto the mask of the mammal, who closed his eyes and simply sighed. "I'll take that as a no then…"

Another flash of light and Hound found himself back on the ground. He felt a slight tug and found his hands bound behind his back. As the sirens drew ever closer, Hound looked up to the mysterious silver creature, who was standing triumphantly over the defeated mecanary.

"What kinda freak are you?" Hound growled, tugging in vain against the handcuffs against his wrists.

The white and silver clad coyote folded his arms and grinned smugly. Electricity acred proudly off his body and onto the street around him. The canine couldn't help but revel in his success tonight. Then again, he never could.

"The name is Quicksilver." His voice, at first brimming with amusement, hauntingly chilled, "And you, Matthias Hound, have a lot to answer for."


	3. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: Yay! Another chapter finished! Truthfully, these next few chapters might be a smidge bit boring, but they are important for setting up more exciting chapters later! As always I should mention that my story takes place in the same universe created by the amazing Garouge Faux's Take a Stand story line. If you haven't read it I highly recommend you give it a read. It's good stuff.**

 **Also I should mention that I'm looking for artists/editors to help me further develop this story and bring it to its full potential. I could really use all the feedback I can get so please remember to review and let me know what you think! I rant. Here is the chapter.**

 **Chapter 2**

Greyson Silver watched with a grim satisfaction as Hound and his goons were loaded into the police cruiser, the flickering red and blue lights sending a bright glare into his dark brown eyes. It wasn't long after the wreck that ZPD arrived at the scene, taking the criminals into custody and giving looks of awe or suspicion towards the coyote. Matthias Hound glared darkly at the vigilante as he was forced through the back door of the car by a police officer.

Bystanders of all shapes and sizes crowded behind police barricades, eagerly trying to peek over each other and snap a picture of the unknown hero. Greyson gave the mammals a timid wave. He wished he could leave, the public eye didn't suit him much, but the coyote had unfinished business...

"Well well well, been a while since we seen you around." Quicksilver recognized the voice instantly. Greyson smiled, turning to find a grey and black bunny shut the door to a black undercover police vehicle, followed closely by a large white tiger, both in business attire underneath kevlar vests sporting 'MIB' in bright white letters.

"Jack Savage," Quicksilver shook his the rabbit's outstretched paw and shook it warmly, "It has been a hot minute, you're not still looking into arresting me are you?"

"You know the entire force thought I was crazy, chasing a ghost that could outrun cop cars?" Jack smiled smugly, "When I got the call that you had finally slowed down for once, well, I had to see it to believe it. Thanks to the good vigilantes like you and Team Ceartais have done, it takes a bit more effort to warrant an arrest, effort that I don't feel like putting in at the moment. I'll catch up to you one of these days though."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Greyson gave the rabbit a toothy smile before motioning to the large tiger behind him, "Who's the escort?" The tiger cleared his throat before holding out a large hand.

"Ray Kamino. Lieutenant of Camelot and british intelligence," The ace introduced himself in a heavy british accent, "You must be Quicksilver. I must say I thought you'd be taller." Greyson scrunched his face. He was tall, for a coyote. He wasn't tiger tall, but he was above average height and proud of it.

As the coyote took Ray's massive paw, he gave the officer an amused smile. With as fake and sarcastic an accent as he could manage, Greyson responded, "Charmed mate."

Ray was unfazed and simply razed an eyebrow at the coyote's antics. He opened his mouth to say something but was quickly interrupted by Jack.

"I see your cockyness hasn't gone anywhere. Quicksilver, as glad as I am that you were here tonight, I gotta ask. What brings you out of the shadows? Why were you after these guys?" Jack leaned back against the black car, his face stern, "You were off Zootopia's radar for a year, stayed off of it during the Drowned incidents, not that we were looking for you that is, we were preoccupied by other matters. What brings you back into the vigilante scene?"

Greyson's face went neutral and his playfulness was quickly undercut by a more solemn tone, "Well you know me Jack. Hard for me to sit still sometimes. Gotta stretch the legs every once and awhile."Jack rolled his eyes and Ray silently observed the questioning with folded arms.

"You and I both know that's not the case Quicksilver. Your record proves it. Sure you save mammals and stop petty crimes when the mood suits you, but I know you. You never expose yourself unless its something big," Jack continued, his eyes never breaking contact with the vigilante's, "Last week you busted a similar weapons deal in the rainforest district and yet there's nothing to show for it except for a couple mammals in lock up, courtesy of a, and I quote, 'silver streak'."

Quicksilver stayed silent, trying his best to avoid eye contact with the stern MIB agent and the smug tiger behind him. His usually quick and witty mind was drawing a blank under the barrage of the MIB agents. _I could just leave, get the information another way. Plus, how can I be sure if they even have the intel I'm looking for?_ The coyote thought to himself. _No. I'm already here, might as well stick it out…_

"I'll ask again Quick, what's your MO? Busting these two raids within a week of each other can't be a coincidence," Jack persisted, studying the coyote's movements as he did. Suddenly, a revelation hit Jack like a thunderbolt. He quickly switched tactics.

"Why haven't you ran off yet? It's not like you to wait around for the cops. You don't enjoy being in the public eye. What's keeping you here?" Jack questioned. The coyote's tail twitched behind him nervously.

"Can't I catch up with my boys in blue every now and then?" Greyson asked, smiling to hide his anxiety, "Besides, I missed our little chats from back in the day. Thought it would be nice to talk to my favorite MIB agent again." Jack smiled. Bingo.

"You want something from us? Don't you? It's the only reason you haven't ran off yet," Jack could see the sweat start to build above the vigilante's mask. _Shit._ He rolled his eyes, "We're not here to catch you Quick, vigilante work has become a norm. Besides speeding, you haven't done anything illegal. When it comes to these raids you have something invested in it and I think we can help each other."

Quicksilver exhaled and gave a defeated smile. "You're getting really good at that, you know that Jack? You're not getting lessons from an old hustler are you?"

"Comes with the territory." Jack returned the smile. The trio sat in silence for a while. The street debris was being cleaned around them by elephants and larger mammals.

"So who talks first? You talk first? I talk first? Can we do this over coffee?" The coyote finally broke the silence, earning a chuckle from the rabbit and an annoyed frown from the tiger.

"If we let you go now, who knows when we'll get the chance to talk to you again, let alone for coffee?" Ray asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

The coyote raised his hands defensively, "Only a joke muscle man, sheesh you need to lighten up…"

"I'll start," Jack began, turning his attention back to the silver vigilante, "with the same question I asked before. What are you after these weapon deals for?" Quicksilver exhaled again and mentally rolled his eyes. He was gonna have to give a little to get a little.

"I got tipped that there were some weapons being sold around town. I suspect that with Phelps industry in the ground, the leftovers are being sold off to the highest buyers. I thought I could track down the ones pulling the strings from the source before anyone got hurt. I came close tonight." Greyson explained, only telling half of the truth.

Ray opened his mouth to ask another question but was quickly cut off by the speedster. "Ah ah ah! Where are your manners redcoat? My turn to ask." Greyson beamed at his own joke while Ray did his best to suppress his anger.

Greyson continued, "MIB and Camelot working together on arms deals. Isn't that stuff a bit above their pay grade? Doesn't this fall under ZPD jurisdiction?"

Ray took a deep breath before responding. "When criminals and mercenaries like Hound have experimental weapons that can tear up a block in a single shot, it becomes our problem. The Drowned nearly destroyed the city's population with experimental chemical weapons. It falls under our jurisdiction on the grounds of fallout from the Drowned incident, an incident that could've used someone with your talents." Ray added, taking a low jab at the smaller mammal.

Jack shot the tiger a glare and Quicksilver remained stoic, hiding the guilt that was building in his chest. The coyote willed himself to suppress the emotions sweeping over him and responded with a simple, "That makes sense." No quippy remarks. No joking around from the silver vigilante. Noticing the shift in tone, the rabbit changed the subject.

"Is there anything you can tell us that we don't already know? Any information at all? We're running on nothing but smoke and rumors and could use any intel you have." Greyson sniffed and cleared his throat, briefly watching the clean up crews work on moving the debris into the back of large trucks.

"Just that the source is Phelps Arms, or what's left of it. See what you can dig up on that end…" Greyson thought for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Team Ceartais. Are they getting involved in this case at all?"

Jack's expression softened. "At the moment, no. They are busy with other issues and have agreed to leave this one to Camelot." Jack thought for a moment before asking, "What information did you really want to get out of us Quick? I know you typically run alone, but it would be beneficial for both Camelot and you if we work together."

Greyson stared at Jack. The MIB agent certainly didn't look special, but he carried an authority with him. The coyote sighed. "You're going to interrogate Hound, aren't you?"

Ray nodded, "We need to find out where these weapons are coming from. The sooner we stop this, the sooner Zootopia's streets become safe again."

The coyote returned his attention to Jack. "I want to know if he talks. Hound is a large cog in a much larger machine. If anyone knows what's going on, it's him. I want to know the second you get a peep out of him, if you get anything out of him at all."

Ray shook his head. "We barely know you vigilante. You're not deputized like Ceartais is. Why should Camelot doesn't have any reason to trust you?"

"You don't," Greyson gave the tiger a cocky smile, "But I know a MIB agent who can give me an outstanding recommendation."

The tiger snorted, shaking his head and changing his attention to the surrounding street. Greyson kept his eyes on Jack who was deep in thought. "Please Jack. You both said it yourselves. We can help each other."

Jack sighed. "Fine. We'll let you know if he talks." Quicksilver nodded and smiled. Before he could thank the rabbit, Jack continued, "But you and I need to be in constant communication. Any information I get you'll get and I expect the same courtesy. Ray is right though. You aren't deputized so technically you're working outside the law on this, but maybe we can revisit that after we finish this case. Do we have an agreement?"

The MIB agent held out his paw to the coyote, who was also deeply considering the offer. The street continued to move around them. Lights flickered in the glass windows that towered above them, a warm summer's breeze sifted through the street, and cars were finally beginning to resume their paths through the blocked off crime scene. Finally, the vigilante exhaled.

"Fine. Information for information. But that's it. I'm not getting sucked into the whole, 'superhero team' business alright? _Way_ too much drama. This is a temporary relationship between a lone vigilante and a secret government anti-terrorist force. Nothing more." Greyson jokingly affirmed, taking the rabbit's paw.

"Sounds fine to me." Jack Savage smiled shaking the vigilante's paw. He paused a moment to take out a pen and paper, writing briefly on it before tearing it and handing it to the silver coyote.

"Whats this?" Greyson asked, taking the paper in his hand, "If this is your number Savage, I gotta tell you, I'm straight. As good looking as you are, you're not my type."

"I'm married actually. And no, I would never give you my personal number. That's Camelot's temporary base of operations," Answered Jack with a cocky smile, "We begin Hound's interrogation at 0800. Stop by around noon and we'll update you. The password to the gate is hermes. They should let you in without too many questions."

"Thanks for the wedding invitation," Quicksilver joked before inhaling through his teeth. "As for tomorrow, I don't know Jack, my lunch date might disagree with that timeframe. Burger supreme isn't going to eat itself."

"Noon. Tomorrow. Be there." Jack repeated, putting emphasis on each phrase. Quicksilver smiled and gave an over exaggerated salute to the Camelot pair. With a flash of silver light, the coyote disappeared from sight before he could finish the gesture. Ray let out an annoyed sigh. Jack glanced up at the large tiger.

"Well he's going to be a bucket of fun to work with." Ray commented sarcastically.

"Quick may not be the most professional vigilante out there, but he's got drive and heart," Jack responded crossing his arms across his chest, "It's not like we have many other options."

Ray nodded. "Well, he's certainly no Ceartais, but he'll have to do."

Jack smiled softly. "I agree. He's no Ceartais. But I have a feeling Camelot is going to need him as much as he needs us."

* * *

Alfred Claw angrily stormed down the hallway towards his penthouse office. Tonight had been a disaster for the leopard and nothing could change that. Failure was something he was not accustomed to and his careful calculations were beginning to crumble like dust in his hands. The wooden door to his office swung forcefully open. The once dark room luxuriously lit itself, sensing Claw's entrance.

Claw made his way to his large desk, opening the bottom drawer and pulling out a large bottle of vodka and shot glasses. Shaking with rage, he quickly poured and downed a couple shots and slumped into his leather chair. Leaning his head back, the leopard turned around to face the window and the brightly lit streets below. He began massaging his temples as he let the alcohol take its course, slowing his once rapid heartbeat. Slowly but surely he was calming down.

"It's about time you got here." Claw instinctively recoiled and drew his claws, his heart skipped a beat as he whipped around in his chair to face the intruder. A slim mountain lion dressed in a black jumpsuit sat cross legged on one of claw's large office chairs, a venomous smile on her lips. Next to her sat a silent wolf with flaming red hair who was leaning back in Claw's extra chair.

"Do you have any idea how long we've been waiting for you?" The lion chuckled, "And I thought you were the prompt one of the Organization."

Claw gave himself a minute to calm himself down and poured another shot. "What have I told you about sneaking in here Thorn? Have you no respect for your fellow members?"

"Oh I have plenty of respect for our members, for the most part that is," Thornrose responded, a sinister smile tugging at her lips, "Just can't seem to find any respect for a mammal who has such difficulty dealing with a small coyote."

Alfred fumed. "This _coyote_ that you speak so boldly of plays a crucial part in Darkfang's plans. If I wanted him dead I would have already killed him. But since both of you are here, I assume that he believes I need assistance moving the weapons without Quicksilver intervention?"

"Your perceptive skills never cease to amaze me Claw." Thornrose remarked sarcastically, "Bottom line is, the boss wants results. He wants the weapons sold into the remaining crime families and you, Alfred, are not delivering. You're on strike two."

With a roar, ivory claws shot from the tips of the leopard's hands, cutting cleanly through the CEO's large wooden desk. The two halves of the desk collapsed ontop of eachother with the sound of shattering glass and cracking wood, leaving Claw breathing heavily behind the wreckage.

Thornrose was unfazed by this and the wolf beside her simply raised an eyebrow. Claw steadied himself. "I don't need your help dealing with this Thorn. I can handle it."

"Please, you cant even keep your own emotions in check, let alone a speedster like Quicksilver," Thornrose smirked before continuing, "Let us take care of him for you. You deliver the weapons, get into good grace with Dark, and we get to take another vigilante of the streets. It's a win-win-win."

Claw retraced his ivory claws and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I can handle this myself. Inform Darkfang that I have everything under control. There's no need for either of you to get involved."

Thorn stood out of her chair and proceed to make her way to the door of the office, flanked by the still silent wolf with fiery red hair. She paused before turning to face the leopard again, laughing darkly. "You say that as if you have a choice in the matter."

* * *

Greyson felt the wind whip around him as he weaved through the busy streets of Zootopia. Nothing beat the feeling of time seemingly slow around him as he ran. The coyote could feel the silver bolts of static electricity arc off of him and into the ground under his feet. Headlights and streetlamps blurred in his vision as he weaved through traffic, leaving nothing but confused mammals and the _wooshing_ of air in his wake.

The coyote made his way out of the downtown portion of Zootopia towards the richer suburbs outside of the city. Traffic became less and less dense and the bright streets transformed into quiet neighborhoods. Making sure he wasn't being watched or somehow followed, Greyson quickly made his way through the neighborhood to his house.

By no means was this house a mansion, but it was a comfortable two story home with a small pool in the back, a garage that the speedster had half converted into a workout room, and a music studio built into the loft.

Greyson finally stopped running when he reached his backyard, sitting at his poolside table as he caught his breath. When he did get his breath back, the coyote painfully pulled the tight silver suit off of his body. _That weapon did as much damage to me as it did the street…_ he thought to himself as he inspected his bruises before making his way inside.

"Honey I'm home!" Greyson jokingly gave the empty house a hello, pausing for a moment for the loneliness to seep in. He would never admit it, but he hated being alone in his house. The coyote wondered what it would be like to have someone waiting for him to get home. The feeling of loneliness further enveloped him.

Greyson shook his head trying to shake the feeling. _I would never be able to have something like that. Mammals get hurt._ Taking a deep breath, the coyote used his superspeed and went to work. Putting his suit away, putting popcorn in the microwave and turning on the television in his living room, he prepared his nightly routine. Most nights were like this. One of his speed's side effects was raging insomnia and Greyson had it by the bucketload.

Turning on the latest netflix episodes and crunching on popcorn, Greyson set his alarm for eight am. The show was interesting. But when you've got superspeed the mind is able to fit more into the gaps. The Tiger's words had deeply cut the coyote. Contrary to the british ace's belief, Greyson had been there. The Drowned's city takeover had lasting effects on everyone, some more than others. The memories resurfaced. The broadcast, the threat to the city, the train.

 _I wasn't fast enough…_ Guilt once again began to gnaw at the canine's stomach and his loneliness was icing on a bitter cake. _I won't let it happen again._ Greyson promised himself, shoving his guilt-ridden thoughts to the back of his mind. He would eventually fall asleep on the couch, popcorn on the floor in front of him, and snoring loudly; unaware that his guilt was leading him down a rabbit hole and that his problems had only just begun.


	4. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Sorry for the wait! I finally finished another chapter of Quicksilver, the fastest mammal alive. Again I should mention that this story connects to Garouge Faux's Take a Stand universe. Please give that story a read if you haven't already. Again please leave reviews and let me know your ideas and opinions on this story. Chapter 4 is currently in the works although with my new job its been slow going. Please please PLEASE review. I need your input to improve the story. Anyways, on with the chapter!**

 **Chapter 3**

Greyson Silver absentmindedly plucked the strings of his guitar as he sat in his studio-loft early the following morning, his fur messy and his tail frizzled. The notes were unharmonious and off key. He hummed random melodies trying to make one flow with the chords he was playing, but the notes sticking about as well as rain on a car window. Not at all.

Truthfully this was all a distraction to keep the coyote from racing off to Camelot HQ for information that, in all honesty, he probably wasn't going to get. _Hound is going to be a tough nut to crack_ , Greyson thought to himself, _the odds of us getting anything useful out of him are slim to none._ He sighed. Time moved slowly for the speedster and this morning was no exception, the hands of his studio clock moving like molasses across a table.

The ring of his doorbell caused the coyote's ears to shoot skyward. At a normal pace, Greyson made his way down the carpeted stairs and into his entryway, cleaning his fur on the way down. Without looking through the peephole, Greyson opened the mahogany door to find a tall and muscled white tail deer hoisting a duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Well good morning sleepyhead," The deer chuckled, observing the coyote's bedhead as he let himself into the home, "I see insomnia treated you well last night."

Greyson smiled tiredly. "Good to see you too James. Not gonna lie, I completely spaced our training session today, but I'm still down to work out if you are."

"Psh if _I'm down to work out_ ," James Stronghorn jokingly mocked the coyote before stopping to shoot Greyson an amused look, "As your personal trainer it's basically my job to force you to your limits, and we are not taking a break today because you decided to sleep in."

The coyote raised an eyebrow, a cheerful smile spreading across the canine's face. "Wait a minute, don't I pay you? Doesn't that make me your boss?"

"Oh please Silver," The deer marched through the house and into the garage where the workout equipment was set up, "You need me as much as I need a new set of weights. You don't have the guts to fire me and truthfully, I doubt you have the guts to finish today's reps. Now go get changed. No good workout is done in PJs."

Greyson groaned and jogged up his stairs to change into his workout attire before returning to the makeshift gym. Starting with stretching, Greyson worked his way through his trainer's fitness regiment. Squatting, bench pressing, and curling to work out all the muscles of his body all while James yelled encouragement and guided him through his workout routine.

"There you go bro! I remember when you could barely lift a 20 and now look at you. Lifting as much as my grandma!" James chuckled at his own joke, "Alright that's enough of those." Greyson lowered the weights he was lifting and sat back against the wall of the garage, panting hard.

"Leg works today?" James asked, motioning towards the weight machines against the wall far wall of the gym.

"Not today, next time for sure," Greyson replied, raising a bottled water to his lips and drinking several deep gulps of the refreshing liquid, "I went running last night and I'll consider that my leg workout until Thursday. Let's just move into boxing."

The deer raised an eyebrow. "Running huh? Don't suppose that was you on channel 7 news this morning then?"

The coyote shrugged coyly. "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. I suppose it was bound to happen eventually." He strapped on his boxing gloves and helmet and his trainer did the same, moving to the large matted area in the center of the garage. The two mammals took up fighting stances in both corners of the mat, bouncing and breathing in rhythm as they began to spar while chatting.

"No cheating this time speedy. I didn't teach you to fight to fight unfairly," James remarked, throwing a couple of air punches to warm himself up, "Besides, if you can knock someone out without your powers, you can K.O. three times as many mammals with your powers."

"I didn't cheat! I simply utilized my god given gifts to give myself an advantage." Greyson laughed, approaching the deer, "Not my fault you didn't have the reaction time to block my punches."

"An _unfair_ advantage. So you don't deny your public debut last night?" James asked, throwing light punches at the canine, who deftly dodged each blow, "I thought the silver speedster worked alone and out of the public eye."

"You of all people know that working alone is only half true, remember that you're the only one who knows which means that we're basically partners. Heaven knows I would be dead three times over if it wasn't for you and your self defense trainings," The coyote dipped and ducked and threw punches of his own which were blocked by the deer's muscled forearms, "As for working out of the public eye, I figured it was time for a change of pace. If Ceartais can work out of the shadows so can I. Plus, I needed to get my MIB agent's attention."

"We talked about this bro… Are you sure you can trust him? I mean, he works for the MIB for shit's sake," James threw heavier punches and hooks at the coyote who danced around the blows, "Secrets are his bread and butter. Even if you haven't told him your identity, how long before he loses trust in you and pluck a hair for dna tests?"

"I trust him. He's the same MIB agent who slipped me intel when I was after Misdadd. I wouldn't have been able to take down her empire without him…" Greyson maneuvered around the deer, tossing quick punches into his raised arms in an attempt to break through his defences, "If he wanted to arrest me he would have done it last night."

"Fair enough…" The deer quickly sent two blows into Greyson's forearms before rapidly hooking right and catching the canine in the mouth, "What about work? You have the money to take care of yourself while you do this little crusade?"

"Now that you mention it, I am working on a new album…" Greyson rubbed his cheek with his glove before getting back into his boxing rhythm, "But yes, my crusade is plenty funded."

James stopped his bouncing and lowered his gloves. "Listen, I brought this up last time we talked but, are you sure you want to go through with this man? I know that she meant a lot to you, she meant a lot to a lot of people," The deer pulled off his boxing gloves and began to unstrap his helmet, prompting Greyson to do the same, "Is she worth fighting this fight for?"

"What is this James? You're already my trainer. You looking to be my therapist too?" Greyson scowled as he set down his boxing equipment and sauntered over to his water bottle.

"I'm asking as a friend. Look, I'm all for helping out the mammals that can't defend themselves. I encourage it," The deer explained, stretching his sore arms, "I just want to make sure you're doing this to help others and not for revenge for what happened that day."

"Does it matter what reasons I'm doing this for? If I accomplish both why does it matter?" Greyson asked, taking long swigs of his water bottle.

"It's a principle man. You gotta remember that being a hero and being a vigilante are two sides of the same coin and there's a thin line between them," The deer remarked, packing up his workout gear into his duffel bag, "I just want to you to remember why you're doing this. Is it for you? Or for the city?"

Greyson scratched the fur under his chin before offering the deer a small smile. "Your good advice river never runs dry does it James? And since when are you a vigilante expert?"

The deer shrugged. "It's what friends do." James placed a strong hand on the speedster's shoulder. "Don't get yourself killed out there ok? After all you are my favorite client." He joked, shouldering his bag and heading towards the door.

"Dick." Greyson smiled smugly and rolled his eyes, rubbing his sore shoulders and arms.

"Asshole," James replied with a wide grin, "Same time Thursday?"

"I'll be here." Greyson laughed, giving his friend a salute. The deer returned the gesture before leaving the coyote alone with his thoughts.

Greyson smiled and shook his head. Ever since high school James had been there for him. He couldn't ask for a better best friend. But the deer's words had stuck to the canine. _Am I doing this for the right reasons?_ Greyson thought to himself as he steadied his breathing.

 _Of course I am._ Greyson concluded, standing up to reinforce his thinking, _I wouldn't be able to live this down if I didn't follow through with this._ Memories came flooding back to the canine. The snow. The train. Running along the tracks, faster than he had ever gone before. The explosion…

Greyson could feel the tears building in his eyes, and he quickly wiped them away, taking another moment to steady himself. His phone buzzed from its resting place on the bench press. _12 pm…_ Greyson took a deep breath. Using his super speed, the coyote blasted out of the neighborhood in broad daylight, his silver frame shining in the sun. _Time to get some answers_.

* * *

Jack Savage stared through the one way mirror into the fluorescent lit interrogation room and sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose. He had sat though hours of questions, waiting, followed by more questions. Hound sat in the room, his hands handcuffed to the metal table and was as silent as the cement brick around him. A gruff Ray Kamino sat across from him, shuffling through papers and asking endless questions, using tactic after tactic to try and get anything, ANYTHING out of the stoic hound.

Matthias Hound's mouth was glued shut, opening only to let out the occasional taunting yawn in the mirror's direction. Nothing could make him talk. This wasn't the first time he had been interrogated and his gut told him this wouldn't be the last. He chuckled inwardly. At least this was the first time he was ever interrogated by a british accent. Another checkmark for his interrogation bingo game.

Hound couldn't help but grin. _It'll take a lot more than a couple of old MIB agents to crack me._ He took a deep breath and stared at his battered reflection in the mirror. Cuts and bruises littered the canine's face around a crooked smile.

They had used every trick in the book and more. Offering him deals for information, threatening him with torture and jail time, reverse psychology. Nothing would break the silent mercenary. Jack looked up as an annoyed Ray entered the room behind the mirror, lightly slamming the door as he did.

"He's not going to talk," The white tiger stated the obvious, taking a large gulp of his coffee and stretching his back out, "I could get more information out of a brick wall."

"He's certainly not making things easy for us, his background accounts for his willpower against interrogation," the rabbit agreed, looking over the stacks of paper on their desk, "Ex-military, ZPD has a lot of records on heists he's been apart of. They've never been able to nab him..."

"Until now," Ray finished, a stern scowl rolling across the tiger's face, "It's a shame it took a vigilante to bring him in. Camelot could've done it without Quicksilver's help."

Jack raised an eyebrow at the larger mammal. "What is your problem Ray? You'd prefer we didn't have mammals like Ceartais and Quicksilver to help make this city safer?"

Ray shook his head, "Don't get me wrong Savage, I will always be grateful for what mammals like them have done for this city, and for me..." Ray closed his eyes and crossed his arms solemnly, "but if my time in the military has taught me anything, it's that mammals are capable of the best and worst this world has to offer."

"So let me ask you Jack," The tiger's tone became tense and icy, "how long before we face someone with the same abilities as our heroes? And WHEN it happens, will we be able to fight that fight?"

Jack closed his eyes in deep thought, his ears going flat against him. He opened his mouth to reply when a woosh filled the small room. Quicksilver was leaning against the wall behind the two agents, static electricity still buzzing around the coyote from his running.

"Gentle-mammals," The canine greeted with a toothy smile, "I hope you didn't start the party without me?"

"I'm almost scared to ask," Ray started, rubbing his tired eyes, "but how did you get past the key card doors?"

"Super speed comes with perks," The coyote chuckled, "guards open the doors and I slip in past em. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about the aliens I saw." Ray to rolled his eyes. Jack gave the coyote a tired smile.

"Glad you could make it Quick," Jack greeted the vigilante, "You've caught us at the same progress as when we started, which is nothing. Hound hasn't said a word."

The coyote nodded, "So what do we have on this guy? What's his story?" The group turned their attention to the mercenary, still sitting across the metal table past the mirror.

"This guy's a veteran," Ray began, "Both in the military and in merc work. Backgrounds in the rangers, served a couple of tours overseas, came home, couldn't adapt to civilian life, turned to a gun for hire. ZPD has several records of different crimes he took part in across the city. This guy knows how to cover his tracks and keep his mouth shut."

"He hasn't said a word all morning," Jack added gruffly, "Our tactics haven't gotten anything out of him and I doubt that our more uh, aggressive, methods will fare any better."

"Aggressive methods?" Greyson asked, a nervous smile tugging at his lips, "What, like torture?"

"If necessary." Ray confirmed, growling slightly. Greyson gulped, sweat building above his mask. Terrifying thoughts of torture filled the canine's head and sent shivers down his spine.

"Ok any other methods we could try before… That?" Quicksilver asked, leaning against the desk in the room.

"Like what?" Ray scoffed folding muscular arms and raising an eyebrow at the smaller mammal.

"I mean…" Greyson lowered his chin while smugly raising both eyebrows, "I could talk to him, maybe, canine to canine?"

"Absolutely not!" Ray grunted, turning his attention from the interrogation room to the small silver coyote, "You're not a qualified MIB agent and, unless you have an extensive background in interrogation which I severely doubt you do, you'll have about as much luck as we've had."

"Hey you don't know, I could be the world's leading interrogator," Quicksilver boasted, earning a small chuckle from Jack and an eye-roll from Ray, "Oh c'mon muscles, what have we got to lose?"

"Jack? Back me up on this one?" The tiger pleaded, shooting a glance at the smaller MIB agent. Greyson also gave Jack a similar look, begging for Jack's approval. The rabbit sighed and shook his head.

"What harm could it do?" Jack surrendered to the pleading looks of the silver canine, much to the displeasure of Ray who sighed and rubbed his tired eyes, "You get 10 minutes with him, tops."

Quicksilver nodded gratefully. "With any luck I can get something out of him for us to use. And lemme tell you guys, I'm a pretty lucky mammal."

The door to the interrogation room swung open and in stepped the silver vigilante, a confident smirk on his face, a complete polar opposite from the scowl returned by Hound who lightly pulled at the handcuffs binding him to the table.

"Good to see you again Hound." Greyson started, smiling at the canine, "You mind if I take a seat?" Hound's only response was a dark glare into the vigilante's brown eyes.

"You know something Hound? I love burger supreme, you ever have it? It's this unbelievable burger joint downtown. I'll admit, not super classy but, it has old school charm that makes it stand out from other fast food shops." Greyson took a seat anyways, shooting the mercenary a toothy grin before continuing, "It's easily one of my favorite food places of all time and they know me by name when I'm there. And when I go I always get the same thing. My usual with a side of fries and extra fry sauce."

Hound remained silent, continuing to stare darkly at the vigilante from across the steel table, only moving on occasion to blink while listening to the coyote monologue about his favorite food place.

"Man, the boys in blue weren't kidding," Greyson pursed his lips, thinking out loud, "You're as quiet as a rock."

The two mammals sat in silence for a while, staring each other down from opposite sides of the room. Greyson rolled his thumbs around each other and tapped his foot lightly while Hound remained silent and unmoving.

Greyson broke the uneasy silence, "Look Matthias, it is Matthias right?" No response, "I thought we could talk canine to canine. I'm sure my friends have already told you about reduced sentences and all that shit for information. We're not stupid. This is way bigger than a simple arms deal, you and I both know that. Help us find whoever is in charge and I promise you'll be treated better."

Hound finally spoke, "Are you really in a position to make promises like that freak? You think that just because you have these mutations you have authority? No…" Hound chuckled, "If anything that gives you less say in matters like this. How long before your 'friends' turn on you? Expose you for the freak of nature you really are?"

"If you're saying this shit to get under my skin, you'll have to do better than that," Greyson remarked, giving the hound a toothy smirk, "It takes a lot more than that to piss me off-"

"Wasn't trying to," Hound interrupted, staring down the silver coyote, "That's just what I was told to ask when you questioned me."

From behind the one way glass, Ray and Jack gave each other a concerned look before silently turning their attention back to the interrogation room. Greyson gave the mercenary a confused look. "Who told you to say that? Your boss? The head honcho? How did he know I would be interrogating you?"

Hound simply turned his head away and closed his eyes. "We're done here."

Several more minutes of silence followed as Greyson stared down Hound who refused to return eye contact. Finally the vigilante gave up and stood up to leave, his metal chair harshly screeching against the concrete floor.

"Enjoy your running days while you can freak," Hound jeered as Greyson walked towards the door, "Those days are numbered."

Greyson shot Hound a dark glare before leaving the room, his mind trying to process the information he had revealed, or the lack of it. He opened the door to the interrogations control room to find Ray and Jack in a similar state.

"Well that was… revealing?" Greyson lightly joked, leaning his back against the door he shut behind him.

"Don't worry about the things he said Quick," Jack comforted, placing a hand on the vigilante's shoulder, "He said those things to get under your skin. He's an expert and he knew you were inexperienced in interrogation. He knew what would get under your skin."

"I'm not so sure about that…" Ray commented turning back to the glass window, "Hound has been silent all day. That was a message for us, not a snippy remark to piss you off."

"As much as I hate to do it," Greyson began, rubbing his eyes, "I have to agree with white tiger. One thing is for certain. Hound is a small part of something much larger. The sooner we find out what we're up against, the better…"

Greyson's face lit up like a lightbulb, a hopeful smile spreading across his face, "And I know just the mammal to help me find out."


	5. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: Sorry for the wait, again. Here's the next chapter in Quicksilver! Again I should mention that this story connects to Garouge Faux's Take a Stand universe. Please give that story a read if you haven't already. Faux is getting into part 3 of his 3 part story and it is AMAZING. I'm trying to get chapters out as fast as I can but it's been slow going without editors or reviews.. Again please leave reviews and let me know your ideas and opinions on this story.**

 **Chapter 4**

The afternoon sun coated the great city of Zootopia in an orange glow as it settled behind the mountains of the city. Large fluffy clouds reflected the crimson light and gave the normally clear skies a beautiful elegance. Warm breezes swept through the glass skyline of the city like a comforting blanket before the cold night set in. It was a beautiful end to a beautiful day.

Finnick took a long pull on his cigarette before exhaling the grey smoke from his mouth and nose. He watched the sunset from the icy hills of tundra town, the evening light reflecting in his aviators beside the glow of his cigarette. The fox leaned back against the stone walls of the Big mansion, dressed in a suit and tie and flanked on either side by massive polar bears in similar attire.

The Big family had always been a force to be reckoned with, it's history long and bloody, becoming one of the largest crime families in the city. Bound by tradition, the family had a unique impact on the criminal underworld of the city and everyone knew it.

Recently though, things had changed for the big family and the once violent group of criminals had gone, "clean". Of course the family still had a large hold of the criminal underworld, but its influence was being diminished as word spread of the family being aligned with large portions of ZPD, which helped business in some areas and hindered in others.

The underworld itself as a whole had gone quiet after the Drowned attack on the city. With the amount of vigilantes and police work in Zootopia, it was no surprise that criminal enterprises of all shapes and sizes were trying to keep their noses clean. But something was stirring in the shadow of the city. There was movement, and the Big family had felt it.

Finnick took another drag of his cigarette and sighed, exhaling the smoke. With the rise of the matriarchy in the Big family, he had also risen in status, becoming head of security for the entire family. The job was never dull, but Finnick enjoyed these moments. Watching the sunset and taking a smoke break away from the stress of the job was his favorite part of the day.

There was a sudden flash of light, a _woosh_ of air, and without warning a silver clad coyote stood in front of the trio, electricity humming around his vibrating frame. Finnick exhaled and rubbed his eyes. The peaceful moment had passed.

"Finnick! How you doing buddy?" The coyote greeted only for the gesture to be returned by the drawing of guns from the polar bears. The vigilante lazily lifted both hands into the air above his head and raised an eyebrow. Finnick raised a hand, motioning for his guards to lower their weapons.

"I thought we had concluded our business speedy," The fox replied, easing the tensions between the armed Big guards and their new visitor, "I helped with your, 'problem' and that's putting it lightly. What brings you back?"

"I am hurt Finnick! That was a mutual arrangement," Greyson tsked, strolling up to the group, crossing his arms nonchalantly, "To put it simply, I just need some information, information I think the Big family might have."

Finnick paused a moment, observing the energetic coyote. _He hasn't changed one bit_ , the small fox chuckled to himself, watching as the vigilante stared back, a hopeful plea in his eyes, _Still the same young dumbass from years ago._

"Walk with me coyote." Finnick motioned for the speedster to follow him, taking him to the back of the Big mansion. Greyson gave the polar bears a mock salute as he fell in line behind the small fox and into the large garden that lay behind the mansion, filled with pine trees that remain green through the cold weather of tundra town.

"Listen coyote," The fox began, taking a drag of his cigarette while they walked, "I know I helped you months back with Misdadd, but that little arrangement doesn't give you the right to zip on over any time it's convenient for your needs. I appreciate your help in taking down Misdadd's empire, but those days of working together are over speedy."

Quicksilver watched Finnick take another pull of his cigarette and twisted his face in mock disgust. "You know those are bad for you, right?"

Finnick shot the coyote a glare causing Greyson to raise his hands defensively, "Look I know what's done is done and that I'm not part of the family's 'good graces', but I wouldn't have come if I wasn't desperate."

Finnick raised an eyebrow. _The speedster? Desperate? This I gotta see..._ "Now I'm curious speedy, what have you gotten yourself into?"

Greyson scratched the back of his head, mentally debating whether or not to disclose that information. His foot tapped the dirt path anxiously.

"Look coyote, I'm not saying I'll help you out, but..." Finnick started, noticing the coyote's face scrunch up in thought, "if you want help you're gonna have to come clean about what you're up against. That's how it works in this family."

Greyson sighed. His hands were tied. "Alright I'll let you in, only because I trust you and I trust that you'll return that trust someday."

Finnick extended his arms, "That's what this family is all about man. Lay it on me. How can an old fennec fox help a speeding vigilante?"

Greyson smiled. As much as Finnick scared him, he was glad to have him as a friend. Months ago, the fox had given him information on Misdadd's empire and, in return, Greyson had taken care of some of Misdadd's top goons for the Big family. A mutual relationship, but definitely one the coyote wanted to keep as limited as possible.

"Alright here's the scoop," Greyson began, folding his arms and turning his tone serious, "Weapons are shifting around Zootopia like a virus. Not just ordinary weapons either, these things are straight out of a sci-fi movie and, as cool as that is, I need to take them out of the wrong hands."

"Yeah we've noticed as well... " Finnick nodded, scratching the fur underneath his chin, "Lasers in tundra town sounds like a lot of melted snow, not to mention a lot of shit for my employers…"

"And it could mean trouble for the mammals of Zootopia," Greyson added, the memory of destruction from Hound fresh in his mind, "I broke up an arms deal last night with another batch of the weapons, but the bulk of it got away. I need to know if your network has picked up any chatter, maybe where they were taken?"

Finnick's face scrunched and he scratched the back oh his head in thought. Greyson waited quietly beside the smaller fox, mentally crossing his fingers for good results. The coyote's tail twitched nervously behind him.

"I'm at the end of my rope Finnick," The vigilante explained, a pang of desperation in his voice, "if I can't get a lead from you and the Big family, I don't know where to go or what to do from here and they win. Even I'm not fast enough to comb the entire city and I'm definitely not patient enough to wait for the next attack."

Finnick chuckled, dropping his cigarette butt and crushing the embers in the dirt beneath him. He paused once more to think. Snow fell softly from the darkening sky and chilly winds lazily floated through the pine needles as Greyson waited for an answer.

"Casino Fortuna." Finnick finally replied, a knowing smile spreading below his aviators reflecting Greyson's perplexed look.

"Casino Tuna?" Greyson joked, "Can't say I've heard of it, but Im guessing they have outstanding seafood."

"I really hope you're not making a joke out of this intel coyote," Finnick replied darkly, his tone as cold as the snowfall around them. Greyson shifted nervously before mumbling an apology to the small fox.

"Casino Fortuna,"Finnick continued, pulling out another cigarette to light while he explained, "On the border of downtown and the rainforest district is a big gold building, it'll be hard to miss it. Word around town is that the owner of the casino is into some interesting stuff behind the front of a legitimate gambling business. It's a hub of information for the criminal underworld. Maybe you can use your feminine charm to get some intel outta that shitty casino."

Greyson raised an eyebrow, "Do you really think I'm a she?"

"Hey I don't know, you act like a little girl a lot, what can I say?" Finnick responded, smugly shrugging his shoulders before turning his expression and tone cold again, "You didn't get this information from me you hear? If this comes back to bite the Bigs in any way, shape, or form, the arms dealers will be the least of your troubles."

Greyson smiled warmly, "Thank you Finnick. I owe you one-"

"Oh did you think that was it? Think you could just run off on your merry way? A freebee from Finnick? Not a chance coyote," Finnick interrupted bluntly, his hand shifting onto the gun in his suit, "That's not this family works. You gotta do something for me, THEN we're even and you can go chasing your weapons dealers."

"Seriously Finnick?" Quicksilver groaned, "Can't this wait until _after_ I save the city?"

The small fox glared at the vigilante, his eyes digging daggers into the coyotes auburn ones from behind his aviators. Greyson felt the fur on his back stand on edge as the fox's stare never withered, cutting through him like a warm knife through butter.

"Fine, fine, what do you need from me?" Greyson huffed impatiently, his breath creating a grey cloud in front of him as he fought the urge to shiver as the night got colder.

"So glad you asked!" Finnick smiled darkly, putting both hands on his hips, "There's a certain group of troublemakers in tundra town that I need taken care of. They'll be in their private bar, Frostbite, on the far side of tundra town tonight with some armed guards, but that shouldn't be a problem for you right?"

"Hey, as long as they're not packing super weapons," Greyson remarked, rotating his torso to stretch out while he listened to the fox's instructions. "How many mammals are there?"

"Four of them, all rodents. I don't need them killed, I'll do that part myself, just bring them to me and my guys here and we'll..." Finnick paused, smiling sinisterly and clearing his throat, "Well, that's need to know information."

Greyson shivered but couldn't tell if it was from the cold air or the thought of what awaited the rodents he was about to round up. As he stretched his legs, electricity hummed around him, blurring the air around the silver vigilante.

"What did these guys do to you anyway?" Greyson asked as the electricity built up around him. Finnick began stepping away from the vibrating coyote, smiling at the coyote's dramatics as the speedster powered up.

"They shot up some friends of mine. I just want to know why." Finnick responded, his tone once again going cold, "Bring them back here alive and we'll call it even."

Greyson nodded and, with a flash of silver light, sped out of the Big mansion and onto the cold, icy streets of Tundra Town. With speed and elegance the coyote dodged cars and pedestrians leaving a wave of wind in his wake. Snow melted underfoot as the energy from his speed dispersed into the ground beneath the coyote.

The vigilante squinted against the icy winds that stung his eyes and he struggled to keep them open against the onslaught. _Wish I had my weather suit…_ Greyson thought to himself fighting through the pain and cold in his face. He missed the high tech gadgets he left behind in the bunker. _Wonder if I could borrow them from Olivia…_

Greyson shook his head mid run. He couldn't go back, not yet. Not until he finished his mission. _Stay focused Grey. We'll have time to reminisce after all of this._

It didn't take the speedster long to find the bar in question, two large mammals standing guard over the front entrance gave the 'secret' location away fast. Without hesitating, Greyson sped past them, barging through the double doors into a scene that would make normal mammals feel out of place.

The bar was full of armed mammals of all sorts and sizes, but they were frozen in place as Greyson moved fast enough that, to him at least, everything else slowed down. The coyote could watch this forever if it didn't wear out the vigilante the way it did. He could already feel his body aching and sweat building from the effort.

A majority of the mammals were already reacting to the door bursting open, slowly turning to face the threat. But they moved in slow motion, blinking eyes moving slower than syrup on a table, other movements just as slow.

Greyson moved between the almost unmoving mammals, electricity humming around him as he made his way to the back of the bar. Mammals were slowly turning towards the open door, drawing weapons, and dropping drinks.

The silver vigilante managed to catch a fallen drink and take a few sips before continuing on his path towards the poker table against the back of the bar. On top of the large poker table sat a smaller table where a group of mice and rats were mid stand from their chairs, poker chips and cards levitating in the air from the commotion caused by the speedster.

Greyson carefully picked up the rodents, clutching them tightly in his hands as he made his way back out the door he entered from. By the time he reached the entryway, the mammals-in-arms had weapons drawn but still were too slow to use them against the silver blur.

Still using his superspeed, Greyson bowed dramatically before bolting out and away from the bar, the rodents clutched in his hands. As he slowed his speed he could feel the mob bosses struggle against his fingers. The coyote could barely make out squeaking threats from his prisoners above the wind whistling past his ears.

The silver vigilante whipped past cars, the street lamps flashing across his mask in a hypnotic pattern as he made his way across tundra town. Once more he questioned getting over his pride and getting his gear from Olivia and, once again, dismissed the thought.

Minutes after the speedster zipped away from the garden, he returned with his quarry. Greyson stood with clenched hands on his knees, sweat dripping from above his mask and breathing hard. Finnick looked as his watch, noting the time it took the speedster to complete the task, an amused toothy smile plastered across his face.

"You know, watching you do that never gets old," Finnick remarked, waving over two polar bears from their guard duty to assist him, "We can take it from here."

"With pleasure," Greyson wheezed, "That was a tough run, little bastards started to bite me…"

The vigilante deposited the squirming rodents into a small cage carried by the polar bear before falling onto his back, out of breath and out of speed. Finnick smiled and rolled his eyes at the coyote in the grass as he watched the exhausted speedster's chest rise and fall.

"Remind me never to run that fast again…" Greyson laughed tiredly, raising his arms above his head to regain his breath faster, "Also, we're even right? No more errands for this coyote?"

"Nope, we're all good here speedy. I appreciate the help," Finnick replied, following the entourage of polar bears into the mansion, leaving the speedster lying out of breath in the grass, "Be safe out there coyote. I'd hate to see you dead on the morning news."

"Har har," Greyson chuckled dryly, "It'll take something special to kill me, thank you for the vote of confidence though! Can't wait to see you again!"

Greyson lay in the grass below the pine trees for several minutes, catching his breath and watching the snow overhead lazily drift down from the dark clouds above. The crystalline flakes would settle gently on the hem of his mask before melting from the warmth of his body.

The coyote smiled, planning out his trip to Casino Fortuna and silently thanking Finnick for the information. Greyson chuckled to himself, readying his superspeed for another run. _It was time to do some gambling._


	6. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** **Holy shit it's been a hot minute since I posted huh? Most of you probably think I'm dead! Fear not! The story continues and I've finally found time to write in between college and my new job and life in general! I appreciate you guys for hanging tight with me, the story only gets better from here, I promise!** **Again I should mention that this story connects to Garouge Faux's Take a Stand universe. Please give that story a read if you haven't already. Please leave reviews and let me know your ideas and opinions on this story. Feedback is ALWAYS appreciated! Now, onto the chapter!**

Chapter 5

Casino Fortuna's golden glass windows radiated a warm glow onto the brightly lit street outside of downtown Zootopia. Noises of laughter and music spilled from the open front doors, echoing across a sidewalk covered in mammals coming and going from the miraculous golden spire.

Shapewise, Casino Fortuna was nothing less than extravagant, combining roman marble architecture with modern golden stained glass windows coating the exterior of the 20+ story structure. Beautiful fountains and ornate greenery littered the casino's surroundings, establishing a look of luxury and class for one of the most popular casinos in Zootopia.

A crimson Tesla pulled into the casino's decorated roundabout, its windows tinted a dark black and its headlights brilliantly lighting the ornate concrete curb ahead of it. Mammals stopped in their tracks to observe the exotic car as it shone brilliantly in the casino's golden light.

Greyson Silver confidently stepped out of the driver's seat, the door automatically opening and closing for the musician as he stepped away from his supercar. The second he revealed himself as the owner of the vehicle, onlookers hurriedly began to snap pictures of the the sharply dressed coyote. Fans screamed and waved at the canine, attempting to get his attention, especially those of the female variety. Some of the more extreme fans were stopped by the casino's security when they attempted to mob the star. Greyson tossed the keys of the sportscar to the waiting valet before cooly striding into the doors of the building, signing some autographs as he went.

"Mister Silver!" A sharply dressed moose welcomed the coyote, flanked by two casino attendants, "Joshua, head of the floor. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Greyson smiled a toothy smile. "I'm here for a good time Joshua. Actually looking to play some poker tonight, I haven't played in a while and need to refresh my skills."

"Ah if it is a game of poker you are looking for, you'll find no better games than right here at Casino Fortuna," Joshua began, leading the canine to the front desk, "We have tables available to play on the east side of the building. I'm sure our guests would be absolutely ecstatic to play with you. Right thi-"

"Actually I was hoping to play at a VIP table, you do have one of those here right?" Greyson asked, purposefully giving his voice a slight edge to emphasize the serious nature of his request.

"Of course mister Silver," Joshua closed his eyes and nodded deeply, extending an arm towards the direction of the elevator, "Right this way please, our staff will take you up to the VIP lounge."

"Thank you." Greyson smiled warmly, following the employees to the golden elevators on the far side of the Casino lobby. All around him the hustle and bustle of the casino never slowed. Mammals cheered, swore, and laughed with one another under the yellow glow of the ceiling lamps. Greyson squinted. _The amount of flashing lights in here is a bit much..._

More mammals began to notice the musician. Pictures were snapped and fans of the coyote occasionally stopped the group as they made their way across the casino floor for autographs and introductions.

"Is this too much for you ?" One of the escorts, a large intimidating hippo asked, stepping between the coyote and a couple of drunk mammals, "We can call security if you'd like."

Greyson smiled smugly, posing vainly for a picture with more casino goers. "Oh I wouldn't miss this for the world, what's the point of being famous if you can't take a picture every now and again?"

After being stopped several more times for eager fans, Greyson and his escorts finally made it to the brass plated elevator, the back of which being comprised of clear glass giving the group a breathtaking view of downtown Zootopia as the elevator rocketed skyward.

The metallic doors of the elevator swung open with a woosh, revealing a room with a much different feeling than the well-lit casino that littered the bottom floor. The room was sparsely illuminated with LED lights edging the ceiling which gradually shifted from blue to purple. One side of the room contained a large bar manned by two well dressed barkeeps. A stage dominated the other side of the room where exotic dancers of different species spun and twirled to the delight of the male VIPs who whistled and cheered on the performers. The longue was crowded, but not nearly to the degree of the first floor, with the majority of the room taken up by multiple different tables for different casino games. Only one of these tables caught the coyote's attention.

A single bright chandelier shown over the poker table illuminating the assembled mammals focused on the cards in hand and chips in front of them. Grayson was quick to recognize several important VIP figures. A fellow musician who specialized in rap, a famous athlete (although admittedly Grayson couldn't tell which sport he played due to his lack of knowledge in sports), and other figures that he recognized but couldn't quite place.

At the head of the table sat an extravagant zebra, laughing at his own joke with the mammals around him. Attractive female mammal models sat on both sides of the zebra further adding to the look of luxury. _This guy's suit alone looks more expensive than anything I could afford…_ The zebra was an intimidating figure to be sure, and it sent a nervous shiver down the coyote's spine.

As the elevator doors shut behind the coyote, the table collectively turned their heads to size up the newcomer. Wicked smiles and scoffing spread amongst them, excited to see fresh meat at the table. The zebra's face went from one of joy to a neutral, emotionless expression. Greyson couldn't be sure, but he thought he detected for a split second, fear? The hippo escort hobbled over to the side of the well-dressed zebra, whispering in his ear causing the zebra to smile broadly.

"Greyson Silver!" The zebra boomed, leaning forward in his chair, "The famous musician graces us with his presence."

A small chuckle spread across the table, mammals turning their heads to catch a glimpse of emotion from the canine. Greyson merely folded his arms.

"Did you need your employee to tell you who I was?" Grayson huffed, squinting his eyes against the light of the cerulean chandelier, "Or am I not famous enough for your taste?"

"Of course I knew who you were, I'm a big fan of your work!" The zebra scoffed, running a hand through his brightly colored mane, "I presume you know who I am Mr. Silver?"

"I wish I could say I knew you," Greyson remarked, shrugging his shoulders cooly, "Unlike me, your fame doesn't precede you."

This earned the coyote a collective reaction from the table's mammals, several of the more tipsy individuals even letting off a mocking, " _Ooooooooo_ ". The zebra's face once again fell to a neutral tone.

 _There it is again!_ Greyson thought to himself, confirming his suspicion, _A flicker of fear across his face. Something's not right..._

"If I had to guess I'd say you must be the owner of this place," Greyson continued, looking around the room as he did so to emphasize a point, "You're the one I go to for complaints right?"

"You can call me Mr. Spade. Please enlighten me, what is there to complain about?" The zebra chuckled, extending his arms out to gesture towards his creation, "I've spared no expense designing and building this miraculous casino. Now, are you here to play cards or complain about the luxury of my casino?"

"Oh don't get me wrong, the building is beautiful. It's just a bit too shiny for my taste. I see the VIP lounge makes up for that though." Greyson strode smugly over to the table opposite of the zebra.

A slow wave passed over the table stemming from the arrogance on display from the new player. The mood of the table transformed from a laid back afternoon of cards to an intense and focused poker game as the coyote took his seat.

"I hope you can play poker as well as you can run your mouth," Ethan Spade remarked, playing with the chips in front of him, "I take it back. If you can play cards as well as you run your mouth then I might actually be in trouble."

The game began in earnest. Hands began to trade in and out, chips passing from one player to another as the night grew older and older. Waitresses dressed in revealing outfits attended each of the mammals playing at the table. The scene reeked of luxury money and class, but Greyson expected nothing less out of a VIP lounge. This was not the first time he had been in a situation like this. _And it won't be the last…_ Greyson thought to himself, folding a weaker hand.

"So ," The zebra began, a couple of hands into the game, "Where did you learn to play poker?"

"An old gambler by the name of Diggs taught me down in Vegas," Greyson remarked juggling the chips between his fingers, "Played a couple of big pot games down at the Bellagio but it didn't really catch my attention."

"So, what brings you back?" A large brown bear asked, setting his cards facedown against the table.

"After my most recent album I had some money to burn." Greyson explained, giving his cards a quick glance before also setting them down on the table, "I figured what better way to spend that money then to spend it on a good night with good company?"

"So let me ask you Silver…" Spade continued, leaning forward, "How does my casino compare to the Bellagio?"

Grayson shrugged, "A casino is a casino to me. It's really the company I prefer over the look and feel of the casino. But to be honest, your's is a tad quieter and easy-going than the Bellagio."

The first three cards were revealed and Grayson activated his ability to assist him in the match. Looking for tells in poker was a skill very few mammals possesed, professional poker players among the few that had the trait. But with superspeed those tells became blindingly obvious. Grayson could tell from the Bear's twitch towards his cards that he was definitely bluffing, but Spade, the zebra was a different story. His face and movements were expressionless and cold. There was no way to tell whether his hand was amazing or absolute trash.

The coyote fought the urge to use his superspeed to quickly go and look at the cards that the zebra held at the end of the table. He took another quick glance at his on cards and smiled inside at pocket 9s, not a bad hand at all.

The game continued, chips being exchanged from one hand to another as the table studied each other, every lean, every blink of the eye, every chip placement. One by one mammals began losing chips. Smiles were exchanged with frowns and concentrated pursed lips. The focus was tangible and tense enough to be cut by a knife. The two big players immediately became apparent. The younger coyote creased his eyebrows and took a quick glance at his competition. Spade smiled cockily and flipped a chip between his fingers and returned the look.

"You play well for a younger canine", the zebra remarked, leaning back in his chair, Diggs taught you well. Either that, or it's dumb luck."

"Maybe a bit of both," Greyson admitted, "For a world class poker player, I get the sense that you're playing pretty relaxed."

"You read mammals well," Spade observed, "With some extra practice, you could be an amazing poker player."

"I think I'll stick to my music for now, but I appreciate the compliment," Greyson responded, nodding in appreciation, "So, does the master poker player have any hobbies besides cards?"

"I enjoy building and running my casino!" The zebra laughed, a small hint of malice behind the friendliness of his tone, "But if you must know, I consider myself a collector. Fine art, artifacts, you name it and I've heard of it."

"I'll have to see your collection sometime." Greyson commented, the conversation of the table turning towards the host's collection of art. Several hands passed before Greyson asked, "What about guns? Ever go shooting for fun?"

"I do have one or two," Spade smiled. "Do you have any interest in firearms?"

"I enjoy shooting, definitely enjoy more modern weapons than antique revolvers..." Greyson mentioned, carefully aiming his words at the zebra.

"Well you're in good taste, I enjoy the shooting range as well." Spade remarked, turning his attention back to the game, "I actually recently acquired some modern weapons weapons myself. I'll have to invite you shooting sometime, that is, if you still have money to afford the rounds after this hand."

"You're awfully confident that you have the better hand. Maybe too confident?" Greyson fired back, folding his arms across his chest.

"If you're insinuating a bluff, you've got it dead wrong. I know I've got a better hand than you." The zebra scoffed, smiling cockily at his opponent, "If anyone is bluffing it's you."

Greyson grinned, "How can you tell? What gives me away?"

"I will admit canine, it was tough to find, you hide your intentions well." The zebra remarked, "But your musician's foot taps every time you get a lackluster pair." With that, the zebra laid down his cards.

"A pair of kings…" Greyson groaned, "You lucky son of a bitch..."

"Luck normally has nothing to do with it," Spade laughed, "But I will admit, hands like this do help."

"Well, in that case I fold." Greyson smiled broadly, tossing his cards down and stepping away from the table, "Thank you for the game. You were all amazing competition, now if you'll excuse me, I'm getting myself a drink."

Ethan Spade watched the coyote leave, his exterior calm, but inside he was seething. _This was not part of the plan..._

* * *

The coyote threw his head back with a shot and grimaced as the alcohol slid down his throat. Due to his super speed affecting his metabolism, the speedster couldn't get drunk, but he could get buzzed given enough shots. Plus, it helped him blend in and look normal.

The poker game was the perfect guise to get the real tell he was after. The weapon small talk was enough to convince Greyson that the zebra knew more than he was letting on. The coyote threw back another shot. He would have to do some more investigating to get concrete proof...

"What does a girl have to do to get a drink from you handsome?" Greyson looked up from the counter of the bar and was met by a pair of brilliant emerald eyes. Fiery scarlet hair dripped from her head down below her shoulders and a stunning green dress that matched her eyes outlined her slim figure. Greyson's heart jumped into his throat and he felt his ears grow warm.

Greyson cleared his throat and regained his composure before replying, "Well for starters you could introduce yourself?"

"Ah, where are my manners?" She asked with a dazzling smile, "Amber, Amber Firestorm."

"Greyson Silver, but you knew that already, didn't you?" Greyson introduced himself, pouring himself and the wolf a shot.

"I might have had the smallest inkling of an idea..." Amber admitted, throwing the shot back.

"That was quite the game you had," Amber pointed out, nodding her head in the general direction of the crowded poker table, "I thought you had him that last hand."

"Yeah well, some people get all the luck," Greyson grinned, "I was playing for fun anyways, so, no harm no foul."

"Oh, I forgot you famous types have money to burn," Amber rolled her eyes playfully, "Couple grand for a game of cards? No problem..."

"What? No I didn't _burn_ money," Greyson stuttered defensively, "I just…"

His mind went numb and his train of thought left the tracks trying to find any excuse to tell the pretty wolf. In the end, his mind returned nothing and the speedster shrugged his shoulders, ears going red at the same time.

"Hey, calm down, I'm only messing with you," Amber giggled, her laugh light and playful, "I'm 'a famous type' myself, or at least I think I am."

"Yeah?" Greyson asked, regaining his footing in the conversation, "What do you do for work?"

"I actually run the financials for a lot of big companies here in Zootopia," Amber smiled teasingly, leaning her head on her arm against the counter, "Sounds boring I know, but I suppose it's still more exciting than your genre of music."

"You know," Greyson started, squinting slightly at the wolf out of mock frustration, "For someone I just bought a drink for, you are very good at making me feel shitty about myself."

"Well, just wait until you buy me dinner, you haven't seen anything yet." Amber said smugly, getting up from her chair and shouldering her purse.

"Who said anything about dinner? You're really not very good at first impressions." Greyson chuckled, crossing his arms across his chest.

Amber smiled, "Womanly intuition." And with that she left Greyson alone once again at the bar. The coyote shook his head. A small splotch of ink on his napkin caught his eye. It was the wolf's number. _Fans will be fans... still..._ Something pulled at his heart. He thought back to the other night, _coming home to someone..._

He shook his head and threw back another shot. _I've got work to do,_ Greyson thought to himself, _once I'm done with this mess then I can think about my love life..._ Greyson stood and began to head towards the elevator to leave. _Will there ever be a last mission for you?_ A small and timid voice asked from the back of his mind.

Greyson dismissed the voice before rolling his shoulders and leaving the VIP lounge. Time to get to work.

* * *

Using his superspeed, Greyson slipped into the door past the janitor goat and into the luxurious office. The coyote looked around the spacious room and whistled to himself. _Office is not the word I would use to describe this place..._

The center room itself was beautiful, but simple. A large wooden desk with small mementos and computer screens sat in the center of the room in front of an extremely plush looking office chair. A seamless window overlooking downtown Zootopia made up the wall behind the desk. The walls were as extravagant as the rest of the casino, a large television adorned one side of the wall in front of a large sofa and coffee table. The other wall contained gambling trophies preserved inside thick glass cases alongside photos of winning moments in poker across the world.

Greyson couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh Spade, you looked way better back in the day."

The nagging thought of completing the mission pulled the coyote out of his examination of the picture. The silver vigilante flashed over to the desk and began searching for something, anything, to lead him to the weapons. With the top of the desk yielding nothing, Greyson started searching the drawers underneath the thick wooden desk. _Two locked, what about this one?_

The third drawer opened revealing pens, paper, other standard office supplies and...

"A notebook!" Greyson whispered excitedly, immediately flipping through the pages before stopping at an interesting diagram , "What do we have here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Quicksilver's head shot up and he was left starting into the emerald eyes of the wolf he had talked with earlier, her scarlet hair flowing down her head to the shoulders of her dress, "What does a girl have to do to get an autograph?"


End file.
